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I sit wondering what in the world can I come up with to celebrate this 200th post - and it hits me. This blog is a celebration of Life.....My Life with my husband and my children.

And this milestone of post number 200, for some reason brought to mind "The Sound of Music", and the beloved song, "My Favorite Things".....Here's my rendition in commemoration of 200 blogs posts and still kickin':

The SAHM at Work's Favorite Things

Kisses on noses and homework's all finished

Bedrooms are spotless and laundry's all done now

Dinner's on table with all four food groups

These are a few of my favorite things

Thinker and Carefree are quizzing each other

Serious and Entertainer are playing so nicely

And Babe has just found a long lost toy

These are a few of my favorite things

Sincere "I'm sorry's" and working together
Laughing and singing and outside exploring
Husbands who hug at just the right moment

Let's face it, sometimes we need to share a small success every now and again.....and those little successes do add up to one big triumph....so here we go.....﻿
1.) Renewed Vows with HH. A time to forgive, heal and move forward.....all the while feeling like a new bride.

3.) Elliptical isn't as awful as it used to be. Can get through 30 min. workout without dying of exhaustion. Time to increase resistance and/or duration. Did crunches and planks, hurts to laugh, but in a good way.

I did my workout this morning and my compilation of iPod songs came to this one: "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi.

While it's a great song to exercise to, I found this acoustic version online, and it struck me, how fleeting life can be sometimes. Often, we find ourselves waiting until just the right time to do something, or act on something....and this song, made me realize, there is no right time.

The time to act, is when I move my will-power to do it. If I procrastinate on this or that, it's because of my own lack of will, not anything else, but my own self standing in the way.

Is there something that you want to do, but just can't seem to move your will to do it? Is it that five pesky pounds you want to lose? Is it giving more time to the children at bedtime, so they can tell about their day? Is it some random thing that seems so difficult to actually do, but with enough strength of will, you COULD if you wanted to?

You know as a mother, I feel like I am constantly doing those checks and balances to be sure that the children are learning all they need in these few short years we have with them. I am trying to teach virtue with the balance of justice, with the knowledge that they also need to, one day, join the rest of the world and all it's inconsistencies. I admit, it's a balancing act that keeps me up at night at times. Am I remembering to give them this, or teach them that, or keep this away to build character and so on and so forth. A person can go crazy with all that is required to prepare their children for a world like ours, and yet, keep them solidly grounded in their Catholic Faith. It can seem overwhelming....well, actually it is overwhelming, if we let it be. Without trusting that God will also guide them, there is no hope. Two parents aren't enough, never has been. It takes knowing that God will also guide their footsteps if we teach them how to trust Him. Let me ba…

Over the past 6 or 9 months, HH has lost over 45 pounds. That's A LOT. I know he felt pressure to lose a few pounds, however, I never knew there was even that many extra pounds on him to lose. His doctor had informed him that he needed to get his cholesterol under control, and maintain that control in order to live many more years of a healthy life.

After having chest pains, reality set it and he made it his mission to lose weight. He tried exercise. He tried nutritional supplements. We tried to cook healthier foods. Nothing seemed to work. Because - and here's the secret to it all: You can't do just one thing to lose the weight. You must increase your exercise AND You must stop over-eating AND You must eat healthy foods. It's everything, combined, that does the job.

Suddenly, HH stopped taking seconds at the dinner table. He stopped going through drive-through and eating fast food. He set up his weight bench in our now-cleared out basement and is act…

﻿ ﻿ Every year, as you might remember from this post....we renew our wedding vows. We started this tradition many years ago and it always seems to recommit ourselves to each other, the marriage and this family that God has brought together.

Over the weekend, we asked our Deacon, who has done it for us for several years, to officiate the short yet profound renewal. As always, he seemed to be so delighted in the task. Just prior to walking to the day chapel, we asked a couple to witness for us. They have adopted our family in a way, and always seem to have something supportive to say to us after masses. Married 57 years themselves, they were happy to witness our renewal, and give us some marital advice. He said, "Try and consider her feelings before saying something that might hurt her." She chimed in and said, "Let the children solidify the marriage, as the fruit of your love." WOW. Beautiful.

Our day picking apples included some of my all time favorite remarks from the children....true to their personalities and coordinating nicknames! Thinker: Why are the insides of some apples white and some are yellow? Carefree: I don't want to pick anymore, I just want to eat. Serious: I found the perfect one, Mom, I'm saving it. Entertainer: Yuuuuummmmmm! I'm on my second! See, Mom? See, Mom? Babe: Up! Up! Momma, help. I got it! I got it!

Babe picking his own delicious treat

Gala, Golden Delicious, Fugi and some others mixed in for good measure.

In September of 2001 I was a new Mom. Thinker was only about a year old and I was only a few months along with Carefree. Never in my wildest dreams would I think I’d have to explain to her today, in 2010 the tragedy that our country experienced on the 11th of that month, of her first year.

Yesterday came and went without much patriotism in our home. We usually do mark Labor Day, Memorial, the 4th and Sept 11th with some kind of family prayer, visit to a cemetery or at the very least discuss with the children what these days mean, and how lucky and proud we are to be Americans.

Yesterday was busy I suppose. HH and I planned to have a date night and attend a school parent function in the evening and the day passed us by without so much as an explanation of 9/11. It's not that we had forgotten, (who could), but that we didn't mark the day as a family.

Today, at Mass, thankfully, our Parish Pastor, ever dutiful, helped us to remember those who lost their lives 9 years ago. As Thi…

Yesterday, HH and I met for lunch. With four kids in school, I find I am allowed more freedom for spontaneous lunch dates. I met him at a nearby restaurant, and the hostess asked us, “How many?” I looked around my feet. With only Babe in tow, HH and I then looked at each other….and said something very strange, “Two and a highchair.” We chuckled together, and I thought to myself: When we first had Thinker, this is what we said, “Two and a highchair”. But he’s not our first child. He’s our fifth. I looked around the restaurant as she sat us at a small table, brought a high chair and HH put Babe’s bib on. I smiled to myself, thinking, “Wow, it really does look like he’s our first.” Time moves. Time moves even without our permission. We sat, enjoyed our lunch and as Babe tasted my soup, and ate HH’s crackers, I had mixed emotion. Wow, we can sit and have an uninterrupted conversation. Wow. That’s a great feeling. And then I felt something else….something foreign. I felt a sense of loss. Wher…

It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that.
1.) Donated pint of blood to Heartland. Feels good to do good.

Last night I shed blood. Yep. I was strapped up, bandaged and felt faint from the loss. As others around me cracked jokes of what 'pretty colored blood' looked like and if I'd get a treat when I had recovered, I simply stared up at the rectangle ceiling tiles, and flickering lights above me.......

I counted....one....two...three....four.....five. Now squeeze. 1.....2......3.....4.......5. Now squeeze. And on it went, counting to five, tightening my hand, my arm......as I felt myself losing my life's blood. Ok, I'll stop the dramatics. I donated a pint of blood to Heartland Blood Center last night. Other than the satisfying 'did my good deed' feeling, they were handing out gift certificates for Oberweis Ice cream. I'm a fool for ice cream. I even shed my blood for it. It's not the first time I've donated blood, but it has been a while. Last time I went, I was denied, as they test your iron levels prior to donating, and my levels were …

1.) HH and I went on date night. High heels, fancy dinner and a babysitter. Life is Good. 2.) Only cried the FIRST day of school. Sent off four of the five. House is very quiet. 3.) Dug out Reebok stepper, completed workout, including crunches and planks. What C-section pouch? In Progress: 4.) Planning great dinner with on-sale chicken, spinach/avocado salad and tomatoes from garden.

It’s a question we have all pondered at least once. Does God matter? We all have debated the existential questions of our human existence, with others or silently in the depths of our own soul. Are we alone? Does what I do or say count? Why bother living a moral, virtuous life? Authors Karina Fabian and Deacon Steven Lumbert (who are father and daughter) attempt to demonstrate the answers to these types of critical questions of our time. Why does God matter?

The book Why God Matters provides example after example of seeing ordinary life through eyes of faith. Was it God’s hand in such ordinary daily occurrences? Was His angel sent to guide or protect in an emergency situation? Readers that view life as a series of co-incidences, luck or without the guidance of a loving paternal God, may not appreciate these examples of seeing God in daily life. Those with faith, even little faith, or limited beliefs in God will be able to relate to seeing the hand of Divine Providence in the ordinary.